It is the unspoken thing on an island such as Malta, that it would be superbly idyllic to live by the sea. There was a time before WWII when the well-to-do and nouveau riche would make it their purpose in life to buy a house on a seafront and enjoy it as a family retreat all summer. Such was the case of the wealthy families of The Three Cities who could afford to invest in a second home where only the British lived. So many of the lovely two storey houses which once lined the Sliema promenade were just such properties, owned by Maltese families who lived elsewhere for most of the year.